TWI860095B - Unmanned inspection device for confined spaces - Google Patents

Abstract

An unmanned inspection device for a confined space, the confined space extending along a direction of travel. The unmanned inspection device includes a travel track fixed in the confined space and extending along the direction of travel, a patrol vehicle that can be controlled and movably arranged on the travel track, and a detection device arranged on the patrol vehicle. The detection device includes at least one thermal imaging camera, a positioning module, a gas detection module, and a wireless communication module. The unmanned inspection device can realize unmanned detection, so that operators do not need to enter the confined space at ordinary times, and only enter when they need to inspect equipment or troubleshoot problems. Moreover, because the unmanned inspection device has already grasped the situation in the confined space, it can greatly improve safety and reduce the risks borne by operators.

Description

Unmanned inspection device for confined spaces

The present invention relates to an unmanned inspection device, and more particularly to an unmanned inspection device used in a confined space to detect underground cables and related equipment.

In order to avoid occupying the available space in the city, more and more advanced cities have begun to underground cables, that is, to move the cable lines and related equipment on the ground to the underground. The underground cables will be accommodated in confined spaces deep underground, such as tunnels. In order to ensure that the cables or power equipment in the confined space can operate normally, it was necessary to arrange inspection personnel to enter the confined space regularly for inspection. However, in the underground confined space where the cables are installed, in addition to high temperature, high humidity, and high electromagnetic wave intensity, it is often accompanied by methane, which makes the personal safety of the inspection personnel vulnerable to threats. Therefore, automating the inspection work is the current trend.

Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a patrol inspection device that can make patrol inspection work unmanned.

Therefore, the present invention provides an unmanned inspection device for a confined space, wherein the confined space extends along a passage direction. The unmanned inspection device comprises a moving track fixed in the confined space and extending along the passage direction, a patrol vehicle that can be controlled and movably arranged on the moving track, and a detection device arranged on the patrol vehicle. The detection device comprises at least one thermal imaging camera, a positioning module, a gas detection module, and a wireless communication module.

The effect of the present invention is that the inspection vehicle can be controlled to patrol along the passage direction in the confined space, and the at least one thermal imaging camera can be used to confirm whether the various equipment in the confined space has thermal anomalies. The gas detection module can detect whether there is leakage of specific components from the equipment in the confined space, or whether there is any harmful gas distributed in the confined space. The positioning module can confirm the position of the inspection vehicle and report the position of the abnormal situation through the wireless communication module. At the same time, the inspection vehicle can also be positioned in the confined space. The unmanned inspection device can realize unmanned inspection, so that workers do not need to enter the confined space at ordinary times. They only need to enter when they need to inspect equipment or troubleshoot problems. And because the unmanned inspection device has already grasped the situation in the confined space, it can greatly improve safety and reduce the risks borne by workers.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , an embodiment of the unmanned inspection device for a confined space of the present invention comprises a travel track 1, a patrol vehicle 2 movably disposed on the travel track 1, a detection device 3 disposed on the patrol vehicle 2, and a plurality of wireless charging sockets 4 disposed at intervals on the travel track 1. In this embodiment, the confined space is an underground tunnel extending along a travel direction A and used to install cables and related equipment. The travel track 1 includes a main body 11 extending along the travel direction A, and two wing plate portions 12 protruding from both sides of the main body 11 in directions away from each other, so that the cross-section of the travel track 1 is roughly in an inverted T shape.

Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3, the inspection vehicle body 2 includes a frame 21 surrounding an installation space 211, four hubs 22 erected on the frame 21, four motors 23 respectively disposed on the hubs 22 and controllably rotatable, four drive wheels 24 respectively driven by the motors 23 and in rolling contact with the wing portions 12, and eight guide wheels 25 pivoted on the hubs 22 and in rolling contact with the wing portions 12 of the travel track 1. The hubs 22 are arranged in pairs, and the two hubs 22 in each group are located at opposite sides of the main body 11 along a direction perpendicular to the travel direction A and facing each other, and two different groups of hubs 22 are spaced apart from each other along the travel direction A. The guide wheels 25 are arranged in pairs, and each group of guide wheels 25 is pivoted on one of the hubs 22 and located at opposite sides of the corresponding driving wheel 24 along the travel direction A.

Referring to FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 , and FIG. 4 , the detection device 3 is accommodated in the installation space 211 and includes two thermal imaging cameras 31, a positioning module 32, a gas detection module 33, a wireless communication module 34, a battery module 35, and a charging plate 36 electrically connected to the battery module 35. The battery module 35 supplies power to the thermal imaging cameras 31, the positioning module 32, the gas detection module 33, and the wireless communication module 34. The thermal imaging cameras 31 can confirm whether the equipment in the confined space has thermal anomalies, the gas detection module 33 can detect whether there is leakage of specific components from the equipment in the confined space, or whether harmful gases are dispersed in the confined space, and the positioning module 32 can confirm the position of the inspection vehicle 2 and report the position of the abnormal situation through the wireless communication module 34, and can also locate the inspection vehicle 2 in the confined space.

In this embodiment, the travel track 1 can be suspended from the ceiling in the confined space, and the motors 23 can be controlled to drive the driving wheels 24 to rotate forward or backward, so that the inspection vehicle 2 can move forward and backward along the travel track 1, and the movement speed of the inspection vehicle 2 can be controlled by controlling the rotation speed of the motors 23. The wireless charging sockets 4 can be respectively arranged at the head and tail of the travel track 1 of the inspection route, so that the inspection vehicle 2 can be placed on the wireless charging sockets 4 before and after the inspection, and the wireless charging sockets 4 can charge the battery module 35 through the charging plate 36. Of course, if the length of the restrained space is longer, or when inspections need to be performed simultaneously on different routes, a plurality of inspection vehicles 2 can also be respectively arranged on different sections of the travel track 1.

In summary, the present invention can realize unmanned inspection, so that workers do not need to enter the confined space at ordinary times. They only need to enter when they need to inspect equipment or troubleshoot problems. Moreover, since the unmanned inspection device has already grasped the situation in the confined space, it can greatly improve safety and reduce the risks borne by workers, so the purpose of the present invention can be achieved.

However, the above is only an example of the implementation of the present invention, and it should not be used to limit the scope of the implementation of the present invention. All simple equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention and the content of the patent specification are still within the scope of the patent of the present invention.

1: Track 11: Main body 12: Wing 2: Inspection vehicle body 21: Frame 211: Installation space 22: Carriage 23: Motor 24: Drive wheel 25: Guide wheel 3: Testing equipment 31: Thermal imaging camera 32: Positioning module 33: Gas detection module 34: Wireless communication module 35: Battery module 36: Charging board 4: Wireless charging station A: Direction of travel

Other features and functions of the present invention will be clearly presented in the implementation method with reference to the drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional diagram illustrating an embodiment of the unmanned inspection device for confined space of the present invention, and a detection device is not shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a side view of an inspection vehicle body and the detection device; FIG. 3 is a top view illustrating a top view of the inspection vehicle body; and FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the component configuration on the detection device.

1: Transition track

11: Main body

12: Wing plate part

2: Inspect the vehicle body

21: Framework

211: Installation space

22: Armrest

23: Motor

24: Driving wheel

25: Guide wheel

4: Wireless charging station

A: Direction of travel

Claims (3)

An unmanned inspection device for a confined space, the confined space extending along a passage direction, the unmanned inspection device comprising: a travel track fixed in the confined space and extending along the passage direction, the travel track comprising a main body, and two wing plates protruding from two sides of the main body in directions away from each other; an inspection vehicle body movably arranged on the travel track under control, the inspection vehicle body comprising A frame, a plurality of hubs erected on the frame, a plurality of motors respectively arranged on the hubs and capable of being controlled to operate, and a plurality of drive wheels respectively driven by the motors and in rolling contact with the wing panels; and a detection device arranged on the frame of the inspection vehicle body, the detection device comprising at least one thermal imaging camera, a positioning module, a gas detection module, and a wireless communication module. As described in claim 1, the unmanned inspection device for confined space, wherein the inspection vehicle body further includes a plurality of guide wheels pivoted on the pivots and in rolling contact with the wing portions of the travel track, the guide wheels are grouped in pairs, and each group of guide wheels is pivoted on one of the pivots and located on opposite sides of the corresponding driving wheel along the travel direction. As described in claim 1, the unmanned inspection device for confined space, wherein the detection equipment further includes a battery module and a charging plate electrically connected to the battery module, and the unmanned inspection device further includes at least one wireless charging base fixedly arranged on the travel track and capable of charging the battery module through the charging plate.

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